You
by coffeeshopcynic
Summary: It's been nine years since Veronica left Neptune and her loved ones behind. Turns out it takes another murder in her hometown for her to realize the push and pull is hat she is missing. Spoilers for the Veronica Mars movie trailer.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Rob Thomas, however, now owns a part of my soul.**

**A/N: During my writing hiatus I fell in love with ****_Veronica Mars _****and after seeing the movie trailer I knew I had to write a oneshot with the words"Wait. Don't go." (Which will haunt my dreams). **

**Bonus points for whoever catches my ****_Castle _****reference. **

**~Rose **

* * *

Veronica was exhausted. The past week had been completely draining. Not only did she have to come back to Neptune to attend her ten year high school reunion but she also had to help her ex-boyfriend prove his innocence after he was accused of murder yet again. It had been nine years since she last saw Logan Echolls but the moment she saw him again, all of the confusing feelings came rushing back.

She didn't want to get close to him again. They had both been hurt so many times. She was with Piz now; she had to get Logan Echolls out of her head. Working with him to prove his innocence made that much harder. It was so much easier to push away the feelings that still lingered after nine years when she never had to actually see him. Things were so much simpler in New York; being back in Neptune made everything complicated.

Piz was still made at her. He came to her ten year high school reunion with her but left after that to go back to work. She was supposed to go with him but when Logan needed her she chose to stay in Neptune until things were sorted out. Piz didn't understand why after all these years, Veronica still felt compelled to help Logan. To be honest, she didn't understand it either.

Everything was now said and done. Logan had been proven innocent and cleared of all charges. It was her last night in Neptune and her dad wasn't home so she had the house to herself. It was quiet—too quiet—which meant she had far too much time to think.

She was in the kitchen mindlessly washing dishes when she heard a knock on the door. She figured it was either Mac or Wallace coming by to hang out one last time before she went back to New York. It wasn't either one of them.

"Hi," the man standing at her door said quietly, as if he was nervous—completely out of character for him.

"Logan," she replied, just as quietly. God, seeing him was still a blow to her emotions. She couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be able to see him without dwelling on what they had and what they had lost.

"Thank you," he finally said after they stood there and looked at each other for a few minutes.

"It was nothing," she replied, knowing exactly what he was referring to. "I never doubted that you were innocent, I just had to prove it."

"I'm sorry that I dragged you back into PI work after you worked so hard to get out of it and this life. I know dragging you back into the drama that comes with being Logan Echolls must have been just what you didn't want—why you left Neptune." His tone was as sharp as it used to be back when they traded barbs and tried to make each other's lives miserable on a daily basis.

"Logan," she warned, losing her temper for no reason other than Logan often made her short fuse even shorter. "I didn't leave Neptune because of you. Everything... Everything was just too much. My dad lost the election because of me. Jake Kane would have made our lives miserable if I stayed, even with the leverage I had on him and the Castle. I just needed to get out of here."

"Classic Veronica Mars," Logan spat out, reverting back into the 09er jackass he hadn't been in a long time. "Things get tough and she runs away. That always has been your trademark hasn't it Ronnie?"

The old Veronica would have fought back and argued, but this veronica was just too tired, physically, mentally, and emotionally. She slumped her shoulders forward in defeat. "I am so sorry Logan," she said so quietly Logan wasn't even sure if he heard her right.

Logan softened his voice, "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I slept with Madison all those years ago. I'm sorry I didn't fight harder to keep you back then. I'm sorry I don't have the energy to now. I'm sorry I haven't been able to commit to a serious relationship in nine years because no matter how hard I try to put you out of my mind I'm still in love with you, Veronica. I'm... I'm just sorry."

Logan grabbed the door handle and went to leave when he heard Veronica's shaky voice. "Wait," she said, clearly upset, "Don't go."

"Why should I stay?" he asked, voice devoid of any emotion.

"The hero is the one that stays," she said simply, remembering back to when she said something similar to her father about her mother year ago.

"You left."

"I know."

He sighed. Why was everything so complicated when it came to Veronica Mars?

Neither one knew what to do so they stood there at an impasse. Logan knew he should leave but she asked him to stay and he still had trouble saying no to her. Especially when she took a step closer to him and was less than an arm's length away. "Stay," she said again, reaching out to caress his face.

"God help me Veronica, I still love you but I can't do this again," he told her with only a touch of bitterness in his voice. He sounded more defeated than anything.

"I know." Veronica understood but she was sad too. How did they manage to always hurt each other so much? This was what they did. They pushed and they pulled each other until neither knew what to o. It was if they couldn't be together and they couldn't be apart.

Logan turned to leave again and this time Veronica didn't move to stop him. The push and pull wasn't good for either of them. Maybe this was a bigger reason of why she left Neptune than she thought it was.

The door closed behind Logan and Veronica sunk down onto the couch. Why was everything so damn complicated? She was still with Piz even if their relationship was more than a little rocky at the moment. It was now dawning on her just how unfair that was to him. He was in love with her and completely committed to their relationship and here Veronica was, dropping everything at the drop of a hat to help her ex—who, for the record, she was nowhere near over.

Dick Casablancas once told her that she was like "rich dude kryptonite", and maybe she as, but Logan Echolls was also her kryptonite. She didn't want to miss him as much as she did but it couldn't be stopped. They had something real. Logan, while drunk, had once told her that they were epic. Spanning over years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. Epic. The ruined lives and bloodshed she could live without but the spanning over years thing was pretty accurate. After all, it was nine years since she had seen him last and she was discovering that she was still in love with him too.

They still had a lot to work out but Veronica was willing to try. She thought leaving Neptune was what she needed to do, and it was, but now she knew that she needed to come back. Isolating herself from the people she loved and that loved her was not the right decision. This was where she needed to be. She would go back to New York soon to get her things and tell Piz she cared about him but wasn't in love with him. For now, she had a former obligatory psychotic jackass to find.

"Logan!" she called out, running out the door and praying that he hadn't left yet. She wasn't disappointed. He was still sitting in his car—that wasn't yellow this time—with his head against the steering wheel. He looked up when he heard her call his name, and braced himself for more inevitable pain.

"What do you want now Veronica?" he asked, voice rough with emotion.

"You."

He was barely out of the car before she was in his arms kissing him. They still had to talk about it. They still had to work though the pain and the past. Things were not perfect, and never would be, but for now they had each other and it was a long time coming.


End file.
